It’s safe to say that India’s chances of saving the third test underway in Sydney against Australia are grim. The hosts sealed a 197-run lead at Stumps on Day 3 and still have 8 wickets in hand with two of their best hitters: Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne finding form.
And India has taken a major hit as a fit all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is ready to be discarded from the rest of the test series with a fractured thumb. As India’s disabled list continues to grow, their chances of winning the series or retaining the Border-Gavaskar trophy are diminishing.
India was canceled when they were packaged for their lowest test score of 36 and were beaten 8 wickets at the opening of the test series in Adelaide. The visitors would be without Virat Kohli for the last 3 tests as the skipper was heading home on paternity leave after Adelaide’s defeat. To add to India’s problems, senior pacemaker Mohammed Shami was discarded and Rohit Sharma was unavailable for the second test.
However, India achieved a resounding victory at the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne when a galvanized team under the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane surprised the hosts and sealed an 8 wicket victory to draw 1-1. Ravindra Jadeja returned after missing Test 1 and his inclusion worked wonders in Melbourne, as the off-roader ensured that India did not feel the absence of Umesh Yadav, who was ruled out with injury in the second inning.
India was left without three of its main pacemakers in Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav for the third round, but, this time, they were not canceled, thanks to an impressive victory from behind in Melbourne. Navdeep Saini debuted and India got a big boost when Rohit Sharma returned to the starting eleven.
India managed to hold Australia to 348 in their first innings at the Sydney Cricket Ground, which has offered the flattest terrain so far in the series. However, Australia made sure to break the Indian unit’s back and, to some extent, their spirits with relentless pressure on the ball. Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood peppered the Indian hitters with short balls so much that the visitors got nervous.
At the end of Saturday’s game, India nearly lost 2 more staff members, an injured list that is becoming too difficult for Ajinkya Rahane and his men to handle. Ravindra Jadeja was hit on the thumb by a Mitchell Starc gorilla and Rishabh Pant received a hit on the elbow while attempting to pull a Pat Cummins gorilla.
While Pant managed to avoid a fracture, Jadeja suffered one and is all set to be out of action for 6-8 weeks.
List of Indian Injuries in Australia Test Series
Ishant Sharma: India’s top pacemaker, who played a key role in helping India win the 2018-19 series, was ruled out of the entire series after suffering a side glare during the Indian Premier League.
Rohit Sharma: The star starter has returned for the third test, but India lost their experience at the top in the first 2 test matches. Rohit was initially ruled out of the entire tour after he sustained a hamstring injury and was later added to the test team. Rohit spent 14 days in quarantine in Melbourne before joining the team for the third test.
Ravindra Jadeja: The off-roader suffered a hamstring injury and concussion during the opening match of the T20 series and was ruled out for the first test. After starring in India’s famous MCG win, Jadeja is set to be scrapped from the rest of the series for a broken thumb.
Mohammed Shami: Pacer Mohammed Shami suffered a fractured right wrist after a vicious Pat Cummins goalkeeper struck him in Adelaide. It was discarded from the rest of the series.
Umesh Yadav: Umesh Yadav suffered a calf injury during the second inning of India’s victory at MCG. The senior running back was getting back into form when he scooped up Australia starter Joe Burns’s wicket with a beauty before limping off the field. Umesh was subsequently ruled out of the third and fourth tests.
KL Rahul: The India starter, who did not find a place in the XI game in the first 2 tests, suffered a wrist injury during training in the run-up to Test 3. Rahul returned home before the Sydney test began, leaving India with fewer options on the bank.
